Fuel-economizer.



JOHN H. HOBART, OF EL PASO, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOEDWIN R.

PHILLIPS, OF SAME PLACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 652,895, dated July 3,1900. Application filed .lanuary 29, 1900. Serial No. 3,168. (No model.)

To LZZ whom, t may concern.-

Beit known that I, JOHN H. HOBART, a. citizen of the United States,residing at'El Paso, county of El Paso, State of Texas, have invented anImprovement in FuelEconomizers; andI hereby declare the following to beafull, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to devices which are especially adapted foreconomizing in the combustion of fuel, and especially where used inconjunction with steam-boilers of any description.

It consists of the parts and the constructions and combinations of partshereinafter described and claimed.

Figure 1 is a partial sectional elevation showing the application of mydevice to a locomotive-boiler on line y y of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is atransverse section showing the hollow arch and the arrangement of theair supply and inlet passages on line oc of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is atransverse section showing the arrangement of the inlet air-pipes andconnected conductors on line a a of Fig. 1.

A is a boiler, which may be either of the locomotive type or it may be astationary boiler set in masonry, having a fire-box 2 and the forwardcombustion-chamber or smokearch 3. Within the fire-box are the upper andlower arches 4 and 5, fixed with relation to each other, as shown, andhaving an arched passage 6 between them, through which the products ofcombustion pass from the fire-box through the tubes of the boiler, asillustrated at 7.

In my invention I supply heated air under a certain pressure or blast,which in a locomotive may be derived from the movement of the machinethrough the air, or itmay be otherwise supplied either for thelocomotive or stationary type of boiler.

In Fig. 1 I have shown a bell-monthed pipe 8, opening toward the frontand having branches 9 curved and following the interior form of thesmoke-arch 3, as shown in transverse section. From these conductorspipes 10 extend backwardly upon each side and connect with pipes orpassages 11, which convey the air back along each side of the boiler andthrough the pipes or passages 12. This air is delivered into the upperpassage 13 and the upper arch 4. The bottom of this arch is perforatedwith holes, as shown at 14, and through these holes the air is delivereddownwardly into the passage or opening 6, through which the products ofcombustion pass from the lireboX, and the highly-heated air is thusdelivered and intimately mingled with the passing products ofcombustion, thus furnishing air for the complete combustion of theseproducts. The arch serves to convey the air to the center, where itpasses through the openings and is distributed the full width of theboiler, but is more particularly thrown into contact with the lightergases, which seek the top of the arch as they pass, thus insuring asupply of air which will cause their perfect combustion. It will bemanifest that the air may be introduced from various points.

In the drawings, as here shown, I have illus` trated a means forintroducing the air from the front of the lire-box, as shown at 15, anda passage 16 by which it may be introduced from the ash-pan and carriedup to the arch 4, and at 17 I have shown passages by which the air maybe introduced from the sides of the nre-box. As shown in transversesection, the air introduced by any of these lastnamed methods passesinto an enlarged chamber 18, from which it is carried by pipes orpassages 19 and delivered into the chamber 13 ot the arch 4, from whichit passes, as before described, to the fire-box.

2O are water-pipes curved to support the upper arch, there being as manyof these pipes following the curvature of the arch as may be desired,and these pipes connect directly with the spaces in the water-legs 21 ofthe fire-box, so that there will be a constant and free circulation ofwater through the pipes.

As applied to the stationary boiler the arn rangement of passages forthe inlet of air may follow those previously described or be otherwisevaried. The passages may return upon themselves in the space behind thebridge-wall or lower arch, passing through the masonry in which theboiler is set or through equivalent pipes or passages, and the heatedair in this case, as in the other, is

IOO

delivered into the chamber 22, which carries it toward the center andfrom which it passes downwardly into a second hollow arch 13, which inthis case is interposed between the upper hollow arch and the passage 6,through which the products of combustion pass over the bridge-wall. Theair is thus heated in the second arch and then is distributed out to thefull width and delivered through openings 14, as previously described,into the space 6, through which the products of combustion are passingfrom the grate-bars to the combustion-chamber beyond the bridgewall. Bythis construction and by disposing the supply-passages within thecombustionchamber behind the bridge-wall I protect them from danger ofbeing broken into or injured by the use of the implements forstirringthe lire, which is a danger that would be liable to occur if thepassages were made within the sides of the fire-box.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecu re by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of a boiler and the firebox thereof, an arch fittedin the upper part of the fire-box and having an internal chainber, awall built up from the lower part of the fire-box and forming aheat-passage between itself and the arch above, passages made in saidwall and connections therewith from the lire-box, means connecting saidpassages with the chamber of the arch and means connecting the saidchamber with the heatpassage between the arch and wall.

2. The boiler and fire-box thereof, an arch fitted in the upper part ofthe fire-box, supporting-tubes extending beneath the arch and connectingwith the water-legs of the fire-box upon either side, a wall built upfrom the lower part of the fire-box forming the heatpassage betweenitself and the arch above, passages made in said Wall and connectionstherewith from the front of the fire-box, a chamber or chambers formedin the arch above, with which the passages in the lower wall areconnected, and openings in the bottom of said arch whereby the air isdelivered into the intermediate heat-passage.

3. The combination of a boiler and the [ireboX thereof, an arch fittedin the upper part of the fire-box and having superposed chambersconnected one with the other, means for supplying air to said chamberssaid upper chamber being curved to convey the air to the center of thelower chamber, and means tor supporting the arch consisting oftransverse water-pipes having their ends connecting directly with 'thewater-legs of the firebox.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN Il. IIOBART.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM SMITH, JAMES T. CLiFFoRD.

